Official Standard of the Rottweiler
General Appearance
The ideal Rottweiler is a medium-large, robust and powerful dog, black with clearly defined rust markings. His compact and substantial build denotes great strength, agility, and endurance. Dogs are characteristically more massive throughout, with a larger frame and heavier bones than bitches. Bitches are distinctly feminine but without weakness of substance or structure.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Dogs: 24 inches to 27 inches. Bitches: 22 inches to 25 inches, with the preferred size being mid-range for each sex. The correct proportion is of primary importance as long as the size is within the standard’s range. The length of the body, from the prosternum to the rearmost projection of the rump, is slightly longer than the height of the dog at the withers, the most desirable proportion of the height to length being 9 to 10. The Rottweiler is neither coarse nor Shelly. The depth of the chest is approximately fifty percent (50%) of the height of the dog. His bone and muscle mass must be sufficient to balance his frame, giving him a compact and very powerful appearance. Serious Faults: Lack of proportion, undersized, oversized, reversal of sex characteristics (bitchy dogs, doggy bitches).
Head
Of medium length, broad between the ears; forehead line seen in profile is moderately arched; zygomatic arch and stop are well-developed with strong, broad upper and lower jaws. The desired ratio of back skull to muzzle is 3 to 2. The forehead is preferred dry. However, some wrinkling may occur when the dog is alert. Expression is noble, alert, and self-assured. Eyes of medium size, almond-shaped with well-fitting lids, moderately deep-set, neither protruding nor receding. The desired color is a uniform dark brown. Serious Fault: yellow (bird of prey) eyes, eyes of different color or size, hairless eye rim. Disqualification – Entropion. Ears of medium size, pendant, triangular; when carried alertly, the ears are level with the top of the skull and appear to broaden it. Ears are to be set well apart, hanging forward with the inner edge lying tightly against the head and terminating at approximately mid-cheek. Serious Faults: Improper carriage (creased, folded, or held away from the cheek/head). Muzzle: The bridge is straight and broad at the base, with a slight tapering toward the tip. The end of the muzzle is broad with a well-developed chin. The nose is broad rather than round and always black. Lips: Always black; corners closed; inner mouth pigment is preferred dark. Serious Faults: Total lack of mouth pigment (pink mouth). Bite and Dentition – Teeth 42 in number (20 upper, 22 lower), strong, correctly placed, meeting in scissors bite: lower incisors touching inside of upper incisors. Serious Faults: Level bite; any missing tooth. Disqualifications – Overshot, undershot (when incisors do not touch or mesh); wry mouth; two or more missing teeth.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck: Powerful, well-muscled, moderately long, slightly arched, and without loose skin. Topline: The back is firm and level, extending in a straight line from behind the withers to the croup. The back remains horizontal to the ground while the dog is moving or standing. Body: The chest is roomy, broad, and deep, reaching to the elbow, with well pronounced forechest and well-sprung, oval ribs. The back is straight and strong. The loin is short, deep, and well-muscled. The croup is broad, of medium length, and only slightly sloping. The underline of a mature Rottweiler has a slight tuck-up. Males must have two normal testicles properly descended into the scrotum. Disqualification: Unilateral cryptorchid or cryptorchid males. Tail: The set of the tail is more important than its length. Properly set, it gives an impression of elongation of the topline, carried slightly above horizontal when the dog is excited or moving. Docked, the tail is short, close to the body, leaving one or two tail vertebrae. Undocked, the tail is carried straight or upward curved and may hang at rest. Faults: Tails with kinks, strong lateral deviation, or ringtails.
Forequarters
The shoulder blade is long and well laid back. Upper arm equal in length to the shoulder blade, set, so elbows are well under the body. The distance from withers to elbow and elbow to ground is equal. Legs are strongly developed with straight, heavy bones, not set close together. Pasterns are strong, springy, and almost perpendicular to the ground. The feet are round and compact with well-arched toes, turning neither in nor out, and the pads are thick and hard. The nails are short, strong, and black. Dewclaws may be removed.
Hindquarters
Angulation of the hindquarters balances that of the forequarters. The upper thigh is fairly long, very broad and well-muscled. The stifle joint is well-turned. The lower thigh is long, broad, and powerful, with extensive muscling leading into a strong hock joint. The rear pasterns are nearly perpendicular to the ground. Viewed from the rear, hind legs are straight, strong, and wide enough apart to fit with a properly built body. Feet are somewhat longer than the front feet, turning neither in nor out, equally compact with well-arched toes. Pads are thick and hard. Nails are short, strong, and black. Dewclaws must be removed.
Coat
The outer coat is straight, coarse, dense, of medium length and lying flat. Undercoat should be present on the neck and thighs, but the amount is influenced by climatic conditions. The undercoat should not show through the outer coat. The coat is shortest on the head, ears, and legs and longest on the breeching. The Rottweiler is to be exhibited in its natural condition with no trimming. Fault: Wavy coat. Serious Faults – Open, excessively short, or curly coat; total lack of undercoat; any trimming that alters the length of the natural coat. Disqualification: Long coat.
Color
Always black with rust to mahogany markings. The demarcation between black and rust is to be clearly defined. The markings should be located as follows: a spot over each eye; on the cheeks; as a strip around each side of the muzzle, but not on the bridge of the nose; on the throat; triangular mark on both sides of the prosternum; on the forelegs from carpus downward to the toes; on the inside of rear legs showing down the front of the stifle and broadening out to front of rear legs from hock to toes, but not completely eliminating black from the rear of pasterns; under tail; black penciling on toes. The undercoat is gray, tan, or black. The quantity and location of rust markings are important and should not exceed ten percent of the body color. Serious Faults: Straw-colored, excessive, insufficient, or sooty markings; rust marking other than described above; white marking any place on the dog (a little rust or white hairs do not constitute a marking). Disqualifications: Any base color other than black; absence of all markings.
Gait
The Rottweiler is a trotter. His movement should be balanced, harmonious, sure, powerful, and unhindered, with strong forereach and a powerful rear drive. The motion is effortless, efficient, and ground-covering. Front and rear legs are thrown neither in nor out, as the imprint of hind feet should touch that of forefeet. In a trot, the forequarters and hindquarters are mutually coordinated while the back remains level, firm, and relatively motionless. As speed increases, the legs will converge under the body toward a center line.
Temperament
The Rottweiler is basically a calm, confident, and courageous dog with a self-assured aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships. A Rottweiler is self-confident and responds quietly and with a wait-and-see attitude to influences in his environment. He has an inherent desire to protect his home and family and is an intelligent dog of extreme hardness and adaptability with a strong willingness to work, making him especially suited as a companion, guardian, and general all-purpose dog. The behavior of the Rottweiler in the show ring should be controlled, willing, adaptable, and trained to submit to examination of the mouth, testicles, etc. An aloof or reserved dog should not be penalized, as this reflects the accepted character of the breed. An aggressive or belligerent attitude toward other dogs should not be faulted. A judge shall excuse any shy Rottweiler from the ring. A dog shall be judged fundamentally shy if, refusing to stand for examination, it shrinks away from the judge. A dog that, in the opinion of the judge, menaces or threatens him/her or exhibits any sign that it may not be safely approached or examined by the judge in the normal manner shall be excused from the ring. A dog that, in the opinion of the judge, attacks any person in the ring shall be disqualified.
Summary
Faults: The foregoing is a description of the ideal Rottweiler. Any structural fault that detracts from the above-described working dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation.
Disqualifications
Entropion, ectropion
Overshot, undershot (when incisors do not touch or mesh); wry mouth; two or more missing teeth.
Unilateral cryptorchid or cryptorchid males
Long coat.
Any base color other than black; absence of all markings.
A dog that, in the opinion of the judge, attacks any person in the ring.
Approved May 10, 2022
Effective August 8, 2022